eaeles



3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

1 (No Model.)

J. H. EARLES.

OAR COUPLING.

Patented Aug. 11'

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. H. EARLES.

GAR COUPLING. No. 324,013. Patented Aug. 11, 1885.

FL! 5 FL 6 f. fl v y N. PETERS. Phalmlflhographar. Washinginn, Dv C.

3 Sheets-Sheet 3 (No Model.)

.J. H. EARLES.

GAR COUPLING.

Patented Aug. 11

N. PETERS. PhoioLllhognphnr. Wnnington. 0.1:;

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN H. EARLES, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 324,013, dated August 11,1885.

Application filed June 26, 1885.

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN H. EARLES, acitizen of the United States, residing at Denver, in the county of Arapahoe and State of 0010- rado, have invented a new and useful Railway- Car Ooupling,of which the following is aspecification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings,in which similar letters refer to corresponding parts.

My invention relates to improvements in car couplings for railway-cars; and the object of my improvements is to provide an automatic car-coupling which may be quickly and easily adjusted from the top or either side of the cars by means of suitable levers,as hereinafter full y described and set forth.

Figurel is a vertical longitudinal section of the draw -head cut through the center, showing the device ready for the reception of the link attached to the opposite car. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of the same, showing the position of the different parts after the re ception of the link. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the trigger. Fig. 4 is a top view of the adjusting-foot. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a clasp by means of which the adjusting-claw is attached to the head of the hook. Fig. 6 is a top view of the hook; Fig. 7, atop view of the trigger and adjusting-cam. Fig. 8 is a side view of a spiral spring and adjacent parts, in section, said spring beinglocated between the hook-head and the adjusting-claw. Fig. 9 is a bottom view of the adj listing-claw. Fig. 10 is a bottom view of the hook. Fig. ll is an end view of my improved coupling attached to a car, showing by dotted lines the lateral adjustment of the link. Fig. 12 is a side elevation of my device showing by dotted lines the vertical adjustment of the link.

In the drawings, a is a steel trigger, the shape of which is shown in Fig. 3. This trigger is supported and guided by the bolt 0, which passes through the upper portion of the draw-head, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 7. The rear extremity of trigger a is clasped to the adj usting-cam b, as shown. Cam bis supported upon ashaft, c, passing through the same, said shaft being wedged within the cam and journaled in the sides of the draw-head A. Cam I) is corrugated, as shown, and works in the head (1 of the hook (I, said head being corrugated to correspond. The hook d, with its (N0 model) head (2, is supported within the draw-head A by a shaft, 6, passing through the head (2, its extremities being received and fastened within suitable openings in the sides of the drawhead, so as to make said shaft stationary. To the lower or forward side of the head (1 is attached the guide-claw g by means of the clasp f. The rear portion of the guide-claw g rests upon the inner surface of the bottom of the clasp f, which is fastened to the head (1' by means of the narrow rims f f, which are received within shallow sockets in the ends of the head (1. The clasp f is made of metal sufficiently yielding to allow it to be removed from its position and replaced at pleasure. Between the guide-claw g and the head d is the spiral spring h, occupying the position shown in Fig. 8, one extremity being received within the socket d of the head d, and the other extremity within a corresponding socket in the guideclaw, as shown. The use of the spring h is to allow the guide-claw to yield when pressed by the link j, and to restore it to its original position when said pressure is removed. The undcr surface of the rear portion, 9, of guide-claw g is corrugated, as shown in Fig. 9, to fit in a corresponding double corru gation on the upper surface of the forward portion of the foot i, as shown in Fig. 4. The foot 7'. rests upon the bottom of the draw-head A, and has a leg, 6, on each side of its rear extremity extending upward on each side of the cam b. The upper portion of each leg t" is formed into a loop,through which the shaft 0 passes. The forward or upper portion of the guide-claw g terminates in four points, g and g g. The points 9 are so fashioned as to form small shoulders,which rest against the catches a a on the inner sides of the arms of.

the trigger a. To the extremities of the shaft 0, which project beyond the draw-head on each side, are attached levers Z and n, by means of which the link is adjusted laterally and vertically, the shaft 0 having a lateral as well as a rotary movement within its journals.

In the use of my improved coupling the entire mechanism is placed within asuitable draw-head, as shown.

In describing the operation of my device I will suppose, first, that the mechanism is in the position shown in Fig.1, ready to receive the link j from the opposite car. As the link strikes the arms of the trigger a they open or spread apart suflieientl y to remove the catches a a from the shoulders g g of the guide-claw 9, thus allowing the guideclaw and hook to fall and the entire mechanism to occupy the posit-ion shown in Fi 2, the hook passing through the opening in the link, and completing the couplin In separating or uncoupling the cars the shaft 0 is turned sufiiciently to lift the hook out of the link by virtue of the action of the cam 1) upon the head (1 of the hook (I, thus restoring the mechanism to the position shown in Fig. 1. In the use of my improved coupling the link may be adjusted laterally or vertically, as may be desired, by the use of the lever Z upon the top of the ear or either of the levers n from the sides of the car, the position of the levers and of the link during the adjusting process being indicated by dotted lines in Figs. 11 and 12. In the lateral adjustment of the link the shaft 0, with its attachments-namely, the cam b and the foot 'i-is forced from side to side,thus giving the guide-claw g the same movement by reason of its corrugated portion g resting up on the corresponding corrugated portion of the foot 1'. This movement of the guide-claw gives the link a lateral movement, (indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 11.) The object of the double corrugation of the foot is to facilitate the lateral adjustment of the link. The rear corrugation is a little higher than the forward, so that when the guide claw is forced back sufficiently to bring its corrugated portion g in contact with the rear corrugation of the foot the guide-claw is raised above the forward corrugation, thus diminishing the friction between the corrugated surfaces, and at the same ti me retaining sufficient friction to give the required lateral movement to the guide-claw, and consequently to the link.

In the construction of my device any suitable metal may be used.

There is a hole in the drawwhead A for the reception ofan ordinary coupling-pin,if for any reason it should be deemed necessary to use the same.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a railway-car coupling, the combination of trigger a, supporting-bolt o, adjustingcam I), hook (Z with head (1, guide-claw g, and claspf, substantially as described, and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a railway-car coupling, the combination of shaft 0 with levers l and 7t, foot t with legs 2', and guide-claw 9, all, placed within a suitable draw'head, substantially as described and shown, and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a railway-car coupling, the combination of a draw'head A, the trigger a with catches a, bolt 0, adjustingcam I), hook (I with head d, supported by shaft 0, guide-claw g, clasp f, spring IL, and foot '1? with legs 1i, substantially as described, and for the purpose set forth.

4. In a railway-car coupling, the combination of hook (I with head (1 guide-claw and spring h, substantially as described, and for the purpose set forth.

JOHN H. l' lAR-LES.

In presence of 

